Swedish police allow the burning of the Koran

In the spring, the Metropolitan Police refused such permission, but the court, to which the organizers of the action turned, recognized the decision of law enforcement officers as erroneous.

Law enforcement now cites a court decision stating that in order to refuse to hold a public meeting, there must be a clear link to the fear of a breach of order and security, which the police do not see in this case.

In early February, the organizers of two operations contacted the security forces, during which the Koran was supposed to be burned in front of the Turkish and Iraqi embassies in Stockholm.

However, on the recommendation of the Swedish Security Police, the administration refused permission to the organizers, saying that such actions had caused threats against the country before, and that further measures would increase the risk of terrorist attacks.

Many lawyers criticized this decision and felt that the law does not give the police the right to do so.

In early June, the Administrative Court of Second Instance, after considering these decisions, ruled that law enforcement officials had no legal basis for refusal. According to the law of order, permits for public demonstrations can only be refused when necessary for reasons of security and order in relation to a particular demonstration.

At the beginning of 2023, a major scandal erupted between Turkey and Sweden regarding the burning of the Noble Qur’an near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.

On January 21, the leader of the far-right Hard Chorus party, Rasmus Paludan, publicly burned the Quran in front of the diplomatic mission.

During his speech, he criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and showed a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad.

The police also prevented Paludan from burning the Quran in Norrköping in April 2022.

However, the Court of Appeal, which heard the case, ruled that the police’s decision was incorrect because the Public Order Act did not give them the power to cancel meetings, simply because there had been some kind of disturbance in the past or a feigned possibility.

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